Students all over campus have come up with ways to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake — from baked goods to a walk-a-thon.

And it’s wonderful to see this kind of rapid, heartfelt response to people’s needs. But as the need for Haiti diminishes over time, let’s not forget the worthy causes in this country that could benefit from that attention.

This is an exciting time, with so many people with different skills coming together to support a worthy cause. We saw it after Hurricane Katrina and we saw it after the Tsunami in Southeast Asia.

More than anything, responses like this show the ridiculousness of the constant bemoaning of our culture as apathetic. We’re young, empathetic and motivated. Maybe it takes large disasters like this to prove it to ourselves, but those strengths don’t go away when the media attention does. This time, let’s make the conscious choice to keep up the passion and the drive, and to funnel it into the worthy causes across this country.

Despite their increased exposure, even well-known national charities are always in need of donations and volunteers. For example, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America gives children with terminal illnesses the chance to see their dreams come true. Habitat for Humanity builds safe, clean and affordable housing for people who would not otherwise have access to such a resource. The American Red Cross is the nation’s premier emergency response organization and also organizes blood drives, community support and educational opportunities.

The lesser-known or specialized charities have to work harder for every donation and provide just as necessary services and support. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization and runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation provides communication services to soldiers overseas, as well as needed financial support to their families.

And don’t forget the many organizations devoted to medical research and support for victims of various diseases. St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is an excellent example, providing affordable care to children with debilitating conditions while performing cutting-edge research into those afflictions.

Still, local charities are usually the most in need of our attention, and they provide the opportunity to see the effects of giving in our own community. The Regional Food Bank of America in Oklahoma City distributes enough food to feed more than 63,000 local people each week, including senior citizens, children, homeless families, struggling working families and victims of domestic violence. The Infant Crisis Center serves more than 1,000 babies and toddlers in central Oklahoma each month by providing formula and food, diapers and other necessities in times of crisis.

These are just a handful of examples of the organizations that need your donations and volunteer work to continue their necessary work. A quick Internet search shows thousands more like them. Sites like www.charitynavigator.com help donors make responsible decisions by tracking how well each organization is doing, and what percentage of its budget actually goes to the cause. With just a little searching, anyone can find a charity that speaks to his or her heart or benefits his or her local community.

So, while the movement to aid the victims in Haiti is an honorable development, don’t let the momentum and energy fade when this particular tragedy is over. Take the same motivation and creative talent we’ve seen in these recent efforts and funnel them towards the needy in our own country.

Think of the impact we could make if even our one small community decided to keep reaching out